Support for coiled strip



4 Sheets-Sh'ee-t 'L IIIIIIII vP. H. wAsHAM, JR

SUPPORT FOR COILED STRI- P Filedvsept. 29, 1942 Feb. 6, 194s.

Feb. 6, 1945.

P. H. vWASHAM, JR

SUPPORT FOR COILED STRIP Filed Sept 29, 1942 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR Feb. 6, 1945. P. H. WASHAM, JR

' v SUPPORT FOR ooILED STRIP 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. v29, 1942 Feb. 6, 1945. P. H. wAsHANL. JR

SUPPORT FOR COILED STRIP Filed' sept. 29, 1942 1 sheets-sheet 4 Patented FebG, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE sUPPoa'r Fon colLEn s'rmP Patrick Henry washam, Jr., Pittsburgh, Ps. Application September 29, 1942, Serial No. 460,159

Claims.

This invention relates to improved features of structure and arrangement for supporting coiled strip metal while it is being uncoiled prior to its entry between the working rolls of a conventional rolling mill.

More specifically, the improved uncoiler of the present invention includes a pair of opposed carriages movable toward and from one another along a suitable guide, the carriages supporting rotatable heads, each head carrying a plurality of expansible segmental elements adapted to -be engaged when in a collapsed position with the central eye or void of a coil oi strip metal, and to then be expanded against the action of resilient collapsing means into irm frictional engagement with the eye of the coll.

The uncoilers of the prior art heretofore generally used have had inherent disadvantageous features which may be summarized as follows:

(1) The inner convolutions of the coil are usually loose, and the prior forms of coil supports, when entered in the ends of the coil, have damaged several of the inner convolutions or caused them to be ruptured, resulting in a high scrap in uneven tension, since the coil does not revolve on its true center in uncoiling.

(4) The supporting cones of prior constructions are unsuited for engagement with coils which frequently are out of round or in bad condition at the core. -This results in objectionable delays in starting the uncoiling operation.

(5) 'I'he inner convolutions which are frequently damaged by the conical supports of the prior art are difilcult to remove after the greater part of the coil has been processed, due to the high pressure applied to hold the coil in place. This results in objectionable delays in making coil changes between uncoiling operations.

The expansible and contractible coil support of the present invention aims to overcome the inl herent disadvantages in prior art construction.

The novel features of construction and arrange--` ment which constitute the present invention will be fully apparent from the following detailed dis- -closure and the appended claims when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 is a view partly in elevation and partly in section, illustrating supporting means for coiled strip embodying the claimed invention.

Figure 2 is an end elevation of one of the main component elements of the improved coil support.

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical section taken on line III-III of Figure l.

Figure 4 is a fragmentary detail view of 'a portion of rotatable head and an expansible segmental element constituting an essential element of the invention.'

Figure 5 is a section taken approximately on the staggered line V-V of Figure 3.

Figure 6 is a detail view of the rotary supporting head showing the ulcrum sockets for supporting the expansible segmental elements.

Figure 7 is an elevation viewed from the right end of Figure 6.

Figurel 8 is adetail view of a spring anchorage unit adapted to be secured to the rotating head.

Figure 9 is a section on line lX-lX of Figure 8.

Figures 10 and 11 are plan views of fragmentary portions of two adjacent expansible segmental elements equipped with interengaging means effective to `couple the several segments as an integrated circular unit.

Figure 12 is a detail view `of a portion of one of the segmental elements as viewed on line XIII-XII of Figure l0.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numorals Ill- I0 represent a pair of carriages slidably supported-on a suitable base l2 andv adapted to be moved toward and from one another by means of a feed screw having respective-rightand left-hand threaded portions I4 and i5 passing through nuts i8 secured to the carriages I0. Since the oppositely disposed supporting devices are of identical construction, a description of one will suffice for both. The duplicate parts are identified -by corresponding reference numerals. The feed screw can be operated by feed wheel 2li, or can be connected to a suitable power driven gear.

Shafts 22 are rotatably supported in rollerbearings 24 in the carriages il, and have heads 2li formed integrally on or otherwise secured thereto. These heads 'form the main supporting means for the improved coil-supporting devices. Bolted or otherwise secured to each head 25 is a anged ring 28 having a wear ring 30 adapted to conne the edges 3i of thecoil of strip metal which is to be uncoiled while supported on the device of the present invention.

A central hub portion 32 of each rotatable head 26 has a plurality of fulcrum sockets 34 formed therein. In theembodiment illustrated there are four such sockets, and each is lined with a semicylindrical shell 36 of antifriction bearing metal.

38 each comprise a portion l2 corresponding to f the surface of a cylinder and inner and outer portions 44 and I6 corresponding to the surfaces I. of respective cones which merge into the surface Y of the cylindrical portion I2,v

A-plurality Aof arcuate holding and separator bars 48 are positlonedat equally spaced intervals around .the headby pins 50, and are secured thereto by bolts 52. These bars flank the opposite portions of the knuckles 40, as. clearly shown in Figure 3, and serve as a rigidifying means for the pivotally mounted segmental elements.

In the embodiment of the-invention illustrated, the expansibleportion of the support comprises four segmental elements, but I am`not limited to this number, as any desired number of circularly arranged parts may be employed. The segmental elements when inthe expanded position of Figure 1 jointly form a complete cylinder in the region of the cylindrical portion 42, and jointly form an interrupted cone in the inner regionof the conical portions 44. The several collapsingsprings 54 are anchored at their outer ends to ribs 55 formed on the segmental members, and at their ends to lugs 58 formed on a spring-anchorage unit 6B which is secured to the head 2E by bolts 62, as shown in Figure 2.

This anchorage unit is recessed at 6.4 (Figure 9) to accommodate a cover plate 66 which serves as a guard or cover for the several springs.

Retainer brackets 88 are secured to the head 2S unsuitable bolts ld. .which engage. the centrai hub extension 32 o the head. ,These retainer brackets, as best shown in Figure 3, are provided with pintle extensions llengageable with ed to receive a conventional form of grease cup.

The knickles are provided with grease passages 8B, and suitable openings are formed in the bearing shells 36 to permit the passage of lubricant to the pintle pins 12.

` The several segmental elements are integrated with one another as a circular unit when in collapsed position, by dowels 32, 8d and 8S, each dowel being secured to one 'segmental element and make a. sliding fit with the notches S8 .and Si) `in elements adjacent thereto.

When the segments are moved to the collapsed position of Figures 4 and l1, the dowels 84 and 86 tightly engage the sockets B8 and 98 formed in the Opposed radial faces-of the mating segments. Thus' it is apparent that the Vseveral segments are integrated as a, circular unit in expanded position by theldowels 82 and are similarly integrated as a' unit in collapsed vposition by the joint action of all' three dowels 82, 84 and 86. This interlocking arrangement in both'expanded and collapsed position"serves to axially align the combined segmental elements of the expansible coil-engaging member with the central axis of the coil of strip material.

In the operation of the improved supporting means illustrated, it will be understood that in order to initially engage the collapsible members with the coil of strip material, the carriages I ll-I 0 will be retracted to positions to permit insertion of the coil between them. A When the carriages are thus retracted, the several springs 54 will rock the segmental elements inwardly about their fulcrum supports to the collapsed positions such as shown inldotted lines in Figure l and full -lines in Figure 4f In this position the inner conical portions 44 of the thuscollapsed segmental elements can be'. readily entered into the innermost central void or eye of the coiled material which is represented by the dot-and-dash line a in Figure 1. Thereupon the feed screw will be operated. to cause the carriages Ill- I0 to approach'one another. This will cause the segmental elements to rock on their fulcrums 40, thus expanding the elements and exerting a very forceful friction grip. In so doing, the eye of the core will be expanded, for example, to the position indicated by the dotand-dash line b in Figure l. If greater frictional drag on the coil is desired, the carriages can be caused to more closely approach one another, whereupon the conical portions 46-46 Will be wedged into the eye or central void of .the coil.

This arrangement provides means- `for exerting a tremendous strip tension, as -will be readily apparent from examination of the drawings. 'In practice it has been found that apparatus such as lthat shown and described can expand the inside diameter or eye of a coil of strip material from-about 18% inches to about 20% inches. The apparatus is of rugged construction and is so constructed and arranged that the parts cannot readily be damaged, yet coil changes can be conveniently and quickly made in the minimum amount of time and with a. minimum of damage to the eye and edge portions of the strip. This materially cuts down scrap losses, and results in important operating economies in the uncoiling of strip material as the material is fed to the working rolls of the rolling mill or to any other apparatus.

While I have described quite specically an embodiment of the invention which an Yactual reduction to practice has demonstrated is highly desirable, it is not to be construed that I am limited thereto, since various modications and substitutions of equivalents may be made by those skilled in the art without departure from the invention as deiined in the appended claims.

I claim: 1. Supporting means for coiled strip material, comprising a pair ofwopposed carriages movable toward and from oneanother, rotatable heads comprising a pair of opposed carriages movablev toward and from one another and rotatable heads Journaled ,thereon each having a plurality'of fulcrum sockets iformed therein, segmental coil- 2,889,693 supporting elements having knuckles seated in said sockets, springs anchored at their outer ends to said elements, an anchorage secured to the head for engagement with the inner ends of siid springs, and retainers secured to said heads hai?- ing a detachable pivotal connection with said segmental elements. ,L

3. Supporting means for coiled strip material, comprising a. rotatably mounted member having movably supportedthereona plurality of conelike segments adapted to bc expanded outward'- ly into engagement withthe central eye of a body of coiled strip. said segments being fulcrumed on y said member and one set of coacting means coupling said segments together as a circular unit when they are in expanded condition and another set ofcoacting means coupling said segments tgether as a circular unit when they are in co1- lapsed condition, each of said coasting means in-l cluding an velement secured to and projecting from one of said segments and a recessed portion formed in a coacting segment. 1

4. Supporting means for coiled sheet metal, comprising a`rotatably mounted head, a. plurality of segments pivotally associated therewith, each segment having respective outer coil-engaging portions corresponding to the surfaces ot a cylinder and a. cone, springs normally tending to rock said segments inwardly, one set of coacting means coupling said segments together as a circular unit when -they are in expanded condition and anfother set of coaoting means coupling said segments together as a circular unit when they are in collapsed condition, each of said coacting means includingan element secured to andprojecting from oney of said segments and a recessed portion'iormed in a coasting segment.

5. Supporting means for cooled strip meterial, comprising a rotatably mounted member having a plurality of segments pivotally mjounted thereon, each segment having portions corresponding to the surfaces of respective cylinders and canes, springs tending to rock said segments about their pivotal supports, and one set of coacting means coupling said segments together as a circular unit when they are in expanded condition and another set of coacting means coupling said segments together as a circular unit when they are in co1- lapsed condition, each of said coacting means including an element securedto and projecting from one of said segments and a recessed portion foi-med in a coacting segment.

ex-wrarcrc HENRY wAsnAM, Jn. 

